5 Books To Add To Your TBR If You Loved Sweet Magnolias

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Since the first season hit Netflix in 2020, "Sweet Magnolias" has proved that "small town" doesn't have to mean small stakes. Lifelong friends Maddie Townsend, Dana Sue Sullivan, and Helen Decatur have been through it all — romantic woes, troubled kids, opening a freaking spa — but they get through it together. It was the perfect pandemic watch for many viewers and became a comfort television staple, so fans were left distraught by the announcement that 2026's Season 5 was the end of the road for "Sweet Magnolias."

That doesn't mean, however, that the cozy vibes of Serenity, South Carolina, have to leave with it. For more satisfying romance and drama featuring close-knit friendships and small-town Southern charm, you need only look as far as your nearest bookstore (or ebook/audiobook retailer of choice). If you're not sure where to start, we've waded through the marshes of down-home fiction to bring you the books that give maximum "Sweet Magnolias" feels.

When it comes to lifelong friendships between spunky Southern women, "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" is the gold standard. That might be surprising because it's typically viewed as a book about the complex relationship between mothers and daughters, specifically playwright and domestic expatriate Sidda Walker and her larger-than-life Louisiana mother, Vivi. However, Vivi's trio of childhood friends, the informal sorority the book is named after, are just as important to the narrative.

Having pledged their devotion as children, Teensy, Caro, Necie, and Vivi have supported each other (and just as frequently egged each other on) through everything. They're just as determined to live out loud as the "Sweet Magnolias," making a scene everywhere from a Shirley Temple lookalike contest to the local cotillion, and the town water tower (a skinny-dipping adventure that lands them in jail). As they grew, they also coped with bereavement, discrimination, addiction, and illness, always taking turns leaning on and propping each other up.

Just like Maddie Townsend at the beginning of "Sweet Magnolias," Lily Bishop is facing the shock of divorce and the necessity of a fresh start in "The Summer House." She finds it styling hair at Safe Harbor, a retirement village run by Rose Carrigan, who has troubles of her own. The cast of colorful characters is rounded out by the revolving door of clients who make themselves comfortable in Lily's salon chair, a throng of sassy Southern ladies that "Sweet Magnolias" fans will find all too familiar.

These two flowers may be new friends, but Lily and Rose bloom brilliantly in the refuge they find in each other. In fact, once she catches her breath, Lily finds there's room in her life once again for romance, specifically with Rose's single-dad nephew, and even Rose opens herself up to love. The Alabama Gulf Coast setting brings in the breezy seaside Southern energy as the whipped cream on top of the banana pudding.

Have you ever wished "Sweet Magnolias" was a murder mystery? Wouldn't Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen be natural detectives if, say, one of their no-good exes turned up dead? That's basically the premise of The Weekenders." Riley Griggs is on her way to spend the summer on the posh island where she grew up off the coast of North Carolina, where she and her estranged husband, Wendell, plan to tell their daughter about their plans to divorce.

When Wendell finally shows up in a very different condition than he was expected, it's up to Riley, her childhood best friend, and her brother to figure out what happened. Along the way, they uncover Wendell's shady business dealings, which put a target on their family that just about anyone might have aimed at. Just when things don't seem like they could get any worse, however, an old flame offers Riley a second chance at a new beginning.

The three friends who grew up together in South Carolina in "The Midlife Birthday Club" are so similar to the "Sweet Magnolias," you'll wonder if you're seeing double (then remember they're invisible characters on a page). Claire is a teacher in a passionless marriage, Harper is a seasoned professional without a personal life, and Nina is juggling intergenerational tensions that go both ways with unfathomable grief. Sound familiar?

The major difference between the sets of friends is that the members of "The Midlife Birthday Club" were all born three weeks apart. As their 50th birthdays approach, they make a pact to shake up their lives by getting together once a month to try something new and scary. Just like the "Sweet Magnolias," their adventures prove it's never too late to start over, at least as long as you've got lifelong friends by your side. Plus, the southeast coast vibes are immaculate.

Surprise! Did you know "Sweet Magnolias" is based on a book series? The first volume, "Stealing Home," roughly covers Maddie's Season 1 arc, from divorcing her husband through coping with changes to her career and family life, through hooking up with Mr. Unicorn With a Six-Pack himself, coach Cal Maddox.

If that sounds awfully Maddie-centric, that's because each book focuses on one character, unlike the series, which threads all of their stories together. There are 11 books, so there's so much more Serenity to explore. There's even a heartwarming Christmas book that will leave you feeling warm and cozy.

Once you're done with the "Sweet Magnolias" series, you can dive into the rest of Sherryl Woods' catalog — and diving will be necessary. The prolific author has written over 100 books comprising more than a dozen series and several standalone novels. That should keep you busy for a few weeks at least.

We searched the internet for books that shared narrative elements with "Sweet Magnolias." Specifically, we looked for characters who are lifelong friends, settings in small towns in the American South, themes of family and reinvention, cozy vibes, and elements of romance and drama. We avoided series unless the volumes can still serve as standalone stories and discarded titles with fewer than 1,000 Goodreads ratings to ensure popularity. We then arranged the resulting list in order from least to most similar to "Sweet Magnolias."